EPA has been performing an emergency removal action at this site which has primarily involved the stabilization, repackaging, transportation, and removal of hazardous magnesium materials and other solid wastes from the facility. EPA completed repackaging abandoned magnesium materials that have been stored in drums that have succumbed to varying degrees of corrosion. The repackaged materials have now been removed from the site. Areas of the site including open pad areas, low areas and drainage ways have been cleared of residual wastes that had spilled when the facility was operating. Low-level radioactive solids, and miscellaneous waste material have been packaged and shipped off site for disposal. Lime was removed from eight large vertical vats located on the west and south side of building 2. The lime was neutralized and shipped off site for disposal. Current activities at the Site are focused on separating materials from a large debris pile on the south side of the property that contains broken concrete embedded with rebar, and large pieces of scrap metal, mixed with dirt and other fines. PADEP is overseeing site activities for the state and providing support. EPA Superfund Technical Assessment & Response Team (START) contractor TechLaw is providing technical and administrative support to the EPA. Site security operations are now relinquished to Lawrence County and Taylor Township officials. EPA will continue cleanup and assessment operations on an intermittent basis.
Personnel On-Scene:
02/23/09 START-1, ERRS-7,
02/24/09 EPA-3, START-1, ERRS-6, PADEP-2,
Weather:
02/23/09 Low of 13° F, high of 22° F, partly cloudy, 0.00” precipitation, wind 11-15 mph.
02/24/09 Low of 01° F, high of 27° F, mostly cloudy, 0.00” precipitation, wind 3-6 mph
02/23/09
Emergency and Rapid Response Services (ERRS) contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. held its morning safety meeting and discussed the days planned activities.
ERRS continued cleanup activities of the large debris piles located on the south side of building 9. The debris piles consist of large pieces of metal scrap, and large concrete chunks with rebar protruding from them, mixed with dirt and other fines. ERRS workers cut the scrap metal down to a transportable size and broke up the concrete, removing the rebar, and then cut the rebar to a suitable length for transporting. The metal was taken to a scrap yard for recycling. The concrete was staged in the same location as the concrete debris from the burn area. The fines that were sifted from the debris were stockpiled separately. The fines stockpile contains elevated concentrations of arsenic and lead. Disposal analysis is pending.
START provided the OSC with technical and administrative assistance, conducted contractor monitoring, and written and photographic documentation.
02/24/09
Emergency and Rapid Response Services (ERRS) contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. held its morning safety meeting and discussed the days planned activities.
ERRS completed cleanup activities of the large debris piles located on the south side of building 9.
START conducted sampling activities at seven locations where lab data indicated elevated arsenic concentrations. Samples were taken at the surface, 12- and 24-inch depths at each of the locations. START was assisted by ERRS who dug to the 24 inch depths with a backhoe, as the ground was too frozen to dig with hand tools.
ERRS prepared to demobilize from the Site by disconnecting power from the office trailer and break building, and by packing and loading equipment to be taken back to ERRS headquarters.
ERRS, START and EPA demobilized.
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) representatives Mary Hoffman and Kevin Jordan were on site to assist with oversight.
The soil samples collected at depth will be analyzed by START with an X-ray Fluorescence analyzer (XRF) to determine metal content. An extent of contamination survey will be conducted surrounding nine discrete soil locations that contain elevated concentrations of arsenic and lead. The samples will also be used to determine the correlation between XRF and off-site laboratory analysis for future field-screening applications on Site. The fines pile containing the arsenic and lead will be shipped offsite for disposal following sample test results.
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